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Music To Your Ears - The Healing Way

Shakespeare once said, “If music be the food of love, play on”. The power of music over the human mind is enormous, and that’s putting it lightly. Music therapy is the use of music for therapeutic purposes by a trained professional. The idea of using music as a healing influence dates back to the time of Plato and Aristotle. In the modern world, music for therapy came to the fore when musicians played for war veterans to cure them of physical and emotional trauma. Since many of the patients responded well, nurses and doctors began requesting the services of musicians for therapy.

Soon, music therapy became recognized as an effective and scientifically-backed mode of treatment. The first music therapy degree program ever was established in 1944 in the State of Michigan, U.S.

A trained music therapist gauges the emotional well-being, physical health, social functioning and cognitive skills through the patient’s responses to music. Once the assessment is complete, the practitioner designs music session for individuals or groups. The therapeutic music is prepared based on client needs and uses music improvisation, song writing, lyric discussion, imagery and musical performances.

Using music for therapy can be a very powerful way to reach children and adolescents. Elderly people and people with developmental and learning disabilities, people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and age related problems and people in acute pain also benefit from music therapy. Music therapy is a powerful way to help people express their feelings.

Professional music therapists are usually found in rehabilitative facilities, psychiatric hospitals, medical hospitals, drug and alcohol programs, nursing homes, correctional facilities, schools and private practice.

Some people mistakenly believe that a patient needs to have some particular musical ability to benefit from therapy. There is no one particular style of music that is more therapeutic than the rest. Any style of music can be equally effective. Any person can be a patient. The patient’s background, needs and history help determine the type of music used.

Even healthy people can make use of the healing powers of music. Listening to or making music, playing or drumming can greatly reduce stress and improve productivity. Research shows that music is a vital support for physical exercise. Music therapy is even said to assist labor and delivery.

In hospitals, music therapy is used to alleviate pain and is often used in conjunction with anesthesia or pain medication. A question that is often raised is why use music if anesthesia does the same thing? Music helps because it dissolves emotional barriers and elevates the patient’s mood. Music also counteracts depression, calms and even sedates patients. In a nutshell, music helps reduce muscle tension and brings on a deep and satisfying relaxation.

Since 1994 music therapy has been identified as a reimbursable service in the U.S. Music therapy is considered ‘active treatment’ when it meets the following criteria:

- Is prescribed by a physician- Is reasonably necessary for the treatment of the injury or condition- Is based on a documented treatment plan- Is showing some sort of result in the patient

The future of music therapy is indeed very promising as more and more research supports the effectiveness of music against diseases like Alzheimer’s and chronic pain.

Classic Rock Performers Who Have Had A Lasting Influence On Music

Classic rock is a fundamental part of American history. Many of today's leading bands can trace their styles back to the influence of certain musicians. While every song made available to the world has had an impact on the music industry, there are certain performers who will eternally stand at the forefront of music.

From folk rock to psychedelic rock, there have been many groundbreaking sounds and voices. Here are the top ten most influential classic rock bands in history.

Elvis Presley

While Elvis is not traditionally viewed in the classic rock genre, it is impossible to ignore his influence on the world of Rock-n-Roll. As the first to expose mainstream America to something other than traditional family music, he faced a tremendous amount of opposition from the mainstream.

Despite the extreme racism exhibited during the 1950's, Elvis never hesitated to give appropriate credit to his inspirations. Mainly African-American performers influenced Elvis' sound and style. Southern radio disc jockeys originally refused to play Elvis' singles, because they sounded "too Negro" for white stations to air.

It was not just Elvis' sound, but also his performance, that drew controversy. The movement of his hips in a suggestive manner sparked an entire decade of debate.

Despite the firestorm of criticism that surrounded Elvis' reign, his continuing popularity has ensured that Elvis' crown as the King of Rock and Roll would remain valid for decades, even decades after his death.

The Beatles

As the best selling musical act of all-time, it is hard to deny the influence of the Beatles, not only on the musical culture of America but also on every aspect of human life. The Beatles included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, and George Harrison.

Their innovative style defined the music of the 1960's -- twice. They began their career in England, and when they came to America, they were already a huge success in the United States. In their early years, they had defined pop music for a new generation.

As the hippy days of the late 1960's began to take hold of America's young people, the Beatles redefined their music again, with another new style of music lauded by the masses. Their very loud stance on drug use and war made them a controversial group, but their popularity never wavered. Although the Beatles retained the loyalty and admiration of their late 1960's audiences until the group broke up, the touring days of the Beatles ended in 1966 when John Lennon proclaimed, "The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ."

Bob Dylan

Dylan has one of the most easily recognizable voices in the world. Raspy and full of passion, Bob Dylan's sound is distinctive. His songs are amazing and defined a generation obsessed with the themes of social unrest, an anti-war stance, and encouragement for the civil rights movement.

A traditional folk singer, Dylan's works transcended all genres and appealed to countless young Americans. His sincere lyrics spoke to many and made it possible to empathize with his many causes.

Jimi Hendrix

As the undisputed master of the electric guitar, Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock foundation. The self-taught guitar player refused to be limited by many of the conventional views of guitar players.

Prior to Jimi Hendrix's development as a guitar player, the electric guitar was considered to merely be a louder version of the acoustic guitar. Hendrix embraced the uniqueness of the electric guitar and showed his appreciation for it to the rest of the world.

Pink Floyd

Easily considered the greatest band of all time, Pink Floyd's unique style and showmanship defined psychedelic rock. Their concept albums were thematic masterpieces that appealed to countless audiences. The Dark Side Of The Moon, Animals, and The Wall each still stand out today as great Rock masterpieces.

The Who

Also known for their thematic records, The Who pioneered the idea of rock opera. Most famous for their collaborative efforts with every major musical figure of their time, Tommy The Rock Opera ensured the longevity of the band into the future.

Their success and fame were not limited to their unique approach to concept albums. Their musical skills are still highly regarded in both mainstream circles and in the entertainment industry. Their music is currently being used as the theme song for at least three of the most popular show on TV on the air today.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones have easily maintained their position as one of the longest lasting bands in recording history. Like most popular rock bands of the age, they were an England-based band that was more than happy to take on America.

Their grungy unkempt image became so popular; many artists are still attempting to master it. Their unique sound and high-quality lyrics have kept them at the top of the charts for almost 40 years.

Cream

Cream, featuring guitarist Eric Clapton, was one of the most technically advanced music groups of their time. Their instrumental techniques became legendary and paved the way for other bands to focus on developing their instrument techniques, in addition to their lyrics.

The Doors

The Doors have always been one of the most controversial bands that had ever existed. Jim Morrison's wild behavior set the tone for the countless musical bad boys that would follow in his footsteps.

The poetic lyrics of The Doors, as well as their outrageous behavior, made them a crowd favorite.

Led Zeppelin

The road to heavy metal was paved by Led Zeppelin. Their first album was pivotal in its inclusion of distorted amplification techniques. Over the years, their experimentation included mixing acoustic and electric sounds, with the addition of synthesized melodies. The success of Led Zeppelin helped establish a strong base for the development of metal music.

Few people of their generation or the current generation realize that like Elvis, Led Zeppelin took most of their inspiration from African-American performers. As a lifelong fan of Led Zeppelin, it is was oddly fascinating to listen to some of the not-so-famous African-American rhythm-and-blues performers of the 1930's, and to be able to hear the Led Zeppelin songs we have loved for years in a whole new way.

Final Thoughts

Clearly, these ten bands had a significant impact on the evolution of Rock-n-Roll music through the generations, but it is more difficult to put them into an ordered list of important groups. Let's just agree that most of us love all ten bands on this list.

Music Exists In Every Creation Of God

Music is the abysmal rainbow that bridges endless galaxies. It is the waterfall flowing through the desert, the mother, the offspring, the ointment, the foot and hand of the wind. All of nature is music: the many colored skies, space, and planets.

Music is every wondrous canyon in a miracle’s dream. Music is evolution, the seed of change. Music existed and exists with or without human beings. No race invented music.Music is a form of energy, like the sun.

Music is the voice through which spirits speak, using a language that is beyond words, a music that is beyond notes. Music informs us with a reality that is scented with the eternal. Music is the tireless swan knitting landscapes of hope.

Music is the cry of life and death at birth and conception, the heartbeat, the pulse, the healer and the healed, the color portrait, the magical stone and the magical mists living side by side. Music is the chirping of birds; is the grass beneath the cracked shells.

Music is dance and the dancer. It is poetry and the poet. Music is all children. Music is hot cornbread. Music is the kindness one finds in a crayon drawing. Imagine a doorbell made of light. Imagine the house that we would enter if we rang that bell. Music and Digital Music are the inseparable part of life. Music is found everywhere. It is present in every creation of the God.

Music Billboard features New Artists

New Music Billboard allows the public to listen to music for free from their favorite Indie Artist. Traditional Billboards cover mostly mainstream music, but New Music Billboards features new and up and coming Singers and Bands.

New Music Billboards features music that runs alongside more mainstream or commercial music and has frequently used the term Indie music. Small labels or individuals marketing their own music often participate in the Indie Music scene. It is important to uncover unknown bands because there is so much musical talent out there who simply lack ample marketing.

During the 1990s, Indie music became widespread and answered an increasingly more significant market of people who were looking for alternatives to the mainstream music institutions. In the same way that “alternative” was used before it became an actual genre of mainstream music, Indie is sometimes used in place of “underground” as a term to describe music.

There are many places online where you can download Indie music for free. One of the better resources is our site at New Music Billboard.com

Becoming involved in the Indie music scene typically, and sometimes still does, require one to move to a city or town where there’s an active Indie music scene. Traditionally, hooking up with other artists and fans was a way to build your career as a new artist.

Seasoned musicians and new artists now have the opportunity to record and publish their music from the comfort of their own studio. Income can be made from building a fan base and by selling merchandise, concert tickets and traditional CDs.

Some Indie groups are now picked up by Indie record labels or even major record labels. A good resource to find Indie Music Labels is New Music Label.com

While Indie music is still considered off from the mainstream music scene, it is a place where new artists can build a fan base and begin many of the marketing components that they are going to need to be success in the longer term.

Music: An International Language

I want to give you a challenge. Find me a country that does not have music of some kind. Search anywhere you like. Explore the jungles of South America, make your way through African tribes, or discover the peoples of South Asia. No matter where you visit I guarantee you this: every country will, without doubt, have some form of music. Their people will make music, play music, and move to music.

From California to China, people love music. There is something about music that is core to humanity. What makes a baby respond to the soft humming of its mother? Or what makes an old woman on the streets of India turn to the sound of a drum? Music is truly a language that is spoken by every person on the earth.

There are many reasons that people love the sound of good music. Music moves us. There is something about the beat of a drum or the rhythm of an orchestra that can cause people of all ages to stand to their feet and move. We are so affected by sound, and when that sound is pleasing to us it forces a response. That response can be the simple clapping of hands or it can be the dancing of our entire bodies.

People all around the world also love music because it is beautiful. There is nothing more amazing than going to an opera or than seeing a symphony orchestra perform. Even the sounds of our favorite album playing in our car remind us that when we hear music, we are encountering some element of sheer beauty. We cannot quite define why music sounds beautiful to our ears, but I have yet to meet a person who does not like one kind of music or another.

That is another great thing about music: it is diverse. You can love classical music, country music, or rock and roll music. Some people prefer music with only a simple melody while others enjoy music with many complicated notes and sounds. What is beautiful to one person may not be called beautiful to another. And that is a beautiful thing.

Music connects people to events and helps them to remember some of life's most significant events. I'll bet you remember the first song you and your spouse danced to, and I bet you can name the song that played the first time you drove a car by yourself. Music is great that way. We can define entire seasons of our life based on the kind of music that we enjoyed during that time. Everyone has been with a parent when an "oldies" song comes on the radio and the parent begins singing out the lines of the song, remembering with fondness their younger years.

From Africa to Alabama to Argentina, music is an important element of culture. By it we define people and countries. Sometimes we enjoy the style, sometimes we would rather not hear it, but most of the time we all agree that music is a wonderful thing. Our lives would be very different and our world a less unified place if we didn't have music.

Some Benefits Of Music

Music has been a part of existence since time immemorial. And, it is everywhere –in the rhythms of nature, the chatter of animals and birds, the babbling of babies, and in the dancing of brooks. Listen and you will hear sweet tunes all weaving a magic of their own.

It is well known that the origins of music go back at least 50,000 years. Music seems to be ingrained in our genetics and tunes are rhythms that are integral to our lives.

Music seems to play many roles in our lives:

• Research indicates the children who learn music are more likely to become doctors, engineers, and computer professionals. Music learning develops areas of the brain responsible for language as well as reasoning. Music is known to sharpen memory. A Rockefeller Foundation study reveals that those who studied music have SAT scores of 427.

• If a child in the womb of its mother listens to music it is born with highly developed intelligence.

• The therapeutic values of music are well documented. It heals people with mental problems, developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, brain trauma, and hypertension. That music heals has been recorded in the works of Aristotle and Plato and in the centuries that followed.

• That plants respond to music is reality, not a myth. Plants are known to thrive with music and also move towards the sound.

• Children who grow up in a music-filled environment are happy, fulfilled, and joyous.

• Music takes the devout closer to god and in religion congregational singing has always worked. Singing hymns lifts any heaviness from the mind and frees the soul.

• When music is played in a hospital waiting rooms and so on it ebbs tensions and calms the mind.

• Music has meditative properties and can be used for healing, exercising, and training modules.

• When music plays, people function better. Many find that they enjoy work or activities like cooking and cleaning when music is playing. It erases tensions and lifts weights off the shoulder. Music introduces lightness into the body.

• Music reflects the culture of a society and strengthens bonds. It creates a camaraderie and oneness as seen in football matches, military training, and festivals.

• Romance and love would not have so many hues but for music. Music and song have captured feelings, passions, agony, distress, and more succinctly. Through song, many a romance have been immortalized. Mating calls and songs are universal in nature.

• Scientists are using music to map behaviors and unravel the many mysteries of the human mind and consciousness.

• Music settles down anger and resentment quickly and also helps us overcome feelings of sorrow and loss. It lifts the mind and spirit out of despair and gives hope. From centuries ago a mother has always sung lullabies to her fussing child lulling it to sleep with softly whispered songs.

• Music has other uses it can raise levels of excitement and cause a frenzy. It is used to call armies to war by the beating of drums, to instigate raw emotions during revolts, and to drum up frenzy at football matches and rock shows.

Did you know that while classical music soothes and opens up channels in the mind, rock music can set pulses racing, and chants can send you into a trance. Music used differently has varied effects on human beings. Music can be a panacea or hell depends on how it is used.